


You're Still The One I Run To.

by brooklynbis



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Anxiety, Bad Weather, College AU, F/M, High School AU, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Protective!Louis, Snow, a lot of cuddling, amongst others that i didn't mention, anxious!harry, comforting!louis, harry studies psychology, larry - Freeform, larry are relationship goals, louis can also drive, louis studies photography as an A level, sad!harry, ziam is hinted at
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-10-20 16:28:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17625770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brooklynbis/pseuds/brooklynbis
Summary: Harry's favourite weather by a mile was snow. There was something about the cold flakes of snow that was just so peaceful. The few times he had experienced snow, everything just stopped for a few days.There was one thing Harry hated about the snow, however. Having to try and get home in it.________________________AKA it snows and Harry and Louis get stranded at college. Fluff and lots of cuddling ensues.





	You're Still The One I Run To.

**Author's Note:**

> (I swear I never intend for them to be this long) I essentially had this situation happen to me yesterday but less extreme?? it snowed like out of nowhere and because it never snows here, we just kinda went into meltdown. essentially I am harry here lmao, our college didn't have to keep students but it took hours to get people home (luckily my bus left first haha) but a college not too far from ours had to keep students overnight, which is what inspired this. yayy for bad weather!!!
> 
> trigger warnings : mentions of panic attacks, crying (idk if that's a trigger but better to be safe), hints of anxiety   
> title from 'still the one' by Shania twain bc that's what I last listened to (the harry and Kacey cover bc im trash)  
> comments, feedback and kudos would be appreciated if you enjoyed, plus any prompts which you can leave in the comments or in my tumblr ask box @/brooklynbis

Harry's favourite weather by a mile was snow. There was something about the cold flakes of snow that was just so peaceful. Snow was fairly rare where he lived, but the few times he had experienced snow, everything just stopped for a few days. Every morning he would wake up early to stare at the snow for an hour or so, crisp and fresh from snowing overnight before people would put muddy boot prints into it, and sled marks broke the crisp blanket. 

He had been listening to the buzz around college over the past couple of days that there was a snow weather warning, and despite the want deep in his stomach, he ignored it and insisted that it wouldn't snow. In his opinion, it was much better to be pessimistic and pleasantly surprised rather than optimistic and disappointed. 

As he sat in the study center that afternoon, marking an exam paper he had just completed, he could hear the volume of the room increase significantly, making him only roll his eyes to himself and turn his music up louder so he could finish marking the paper before he had to go to his next lecture. 

He only understood the increase in noise when he left the study center and got to the classroom his lecture was being held in. 

It was snowing. Heavily. 

"It's so pretty," One of the girls sighed as she stared out of the window, legs pressed up against the radiator that was switched onto full. 

"It probably won't stick, it's been raining the past couple of days," Harry said when he put his bag down on his desk and joined the rest of his classmates at the window. 

"It's sticking to the grass already," Another girl, Lucy, commented. 

"Are we meant to just stay here then?" Harry asked as he watched cars full of students trying to leave the college grounds from all exits. 

"Wait til Jenna turns up I suppose, and she'll say," Will shrugged from where he was looking at his phone. 

They stood quietly for a while, just watching as the snow got even heavier, and it began to cover the ground, cars barely moving as they all tried to leave at the same time. 

"Afternoon," Jenna greeted as she came into the classroom with her psychology folder, beeping the register monitor so they could all mark their attendance. "Has the snow eased?" 

"Nope, just gotten worse," Will said as he glanced out of the window. 

"Well then you'd all better go, I'm sure they'll be reorganising buses and such," Jenna dismissed with a wave of her hand, and the students in the classroom didn't need telling twice. 

It was only then that Harry was broken out of his trance created by the snow falling silently. Somehow, he was supposed to get home in this. He frowned, grabbing his phone out of his back pocket, clicking on Liam's contact first. 

"Hey! Snow is sick, right mate?" Liam answered enthusiastically. 

"Yeah, really nice. Have you been let go?" Harry asked as he shrugged on his coat and put his phone on speaker, resting it on the desk since the room was empty again. 

"Yeah, yeah, none of us actually turned up. Where are you now?" 

"Up in psych, are you in the bus bay? I'll come on down to you," Harry answered as he buttoned up his coat and wrapped the scarf he had around his neck, adjusting the beanie on his head as he did so. 

"Sure, see you in a minute then," Liam replied before hanging up, Harry quickly swinging his bag onto his back and shoving his phone and hands into his pockets. He could feel his hands shaking slightly inside his pockets, and he couldn't tell if it was from the cold or his nerves. 

He forgot about having to travel home as he exited the building a couple of minutes later, smiling as the snow fell down onto him, hearing the excited bubbles of chatter and laughter as people had snowball fights and made snow angels whilst waiting for the buses to turn up. 

It didn't take him long to find Liam, Niall, Zayn and Louis, Louis and Zayn jumping up to hit the roof of the shelter, trying to dislodge some snow onto each other. 

"Hey!" Harry greeted as he came to a stop in front of his friends, catching their attention. 

"I'm so glad my lecture got cancelled, I'm missing the mock that I haven't revised for," Niall said with a grin as he shook his head to get some of the snow out of it. 

"Oh, look at smart Harry, having actually brought warm clothes with him," Liam smirked as Louis cheered at having caught Zayn with some snow, chuckling as Zayn chucked some back at him before making his way over to his boyfriend. 

"No, it was just cold this morning," Harry defended himself as he stuck out his tongue before turning his attention to Louis. 

"You alright love?" Louis asked as he pressed a kiss gently to Harry's cold rosy cheek. 

"Yeah, 's so pretty," Harry said with a soft smile as he looked around at the snow again. 

"Not as pretty as you Styles," Louis replied, making Harry roll his eyes affectionately. 

"That's such a cliche line," Harry chuckled as he took his hand out of his pocket to grip Louis' equally as cold hand. 

"Oi! We're gonna go get some hot drinks from Costa across the road, you two want hot chocolate?" Zayn called to them as they both nodded, watching as the three boys tried to run across the road that was at a standstill, laughing loudly when Zayn slipped over and pulled Liam down with him, making Niall completely lose it as the two of them lay in the road laughing. 

"Do you know how long it'll be before the buses turn up?" Harry asked as he shivered, Louis noticing and pulling him close, tucking the younger boy into his side protectively. 

"Dunno, love. I talked to one of the people earlier and she said that they send the journeys that are the furthest from the college first, so ours should be one of the first," Louis reassured him. 

That was the one thing Harry hated about the snow. Having to try and get home in it. Something about driving or travelling in the snow completely freaked him out. He was fine once he was home, and he knew he didn't have to travel anywhere except on foot, but 99% of the time, snow hit whenever he was far from his or Louis' house, which meant he always had to try and find a way home. 

"That's good, right? Less people will have driven on the roads," Harry said, biting his lip as Louis nodded. 

"Yeah, it is. It's all gonna be fine though, Haz. Mind if I crash at yours, since it's closer?" Louis asked as Harry nodded without hesitation. 

"I'll text Mum in a bit so she knows to make extra for dinner tonight, depending what time we get home," Harry nodded, smiling when he spotted his three friends holding five costa cups between them, taking little baby steps across the road this time so they wouldn't spill the drinks. 

"Thanks, lads," Louis said, taking two of the drinks and passing one to Harry once they had gotten close enough. 

"If you wanted to head inside to one of the canteens, we will be announcing when each of the buses will be leaving!" One of the staff shouted through a loud speaker across the bus bay. 

"Wanna go inside for a bit? You're shivering babes," Louis said as he noticed Harry's shaking hand lifting his cup to his lips. Harry nodded without a word as he took Louis' hand again, wrapping his arm around Louis' in the process. 

"We're going inside until they call our bus, you guys coming in too?" Louis asked Liam, Zayn and Niall, who were all busy trying to make a mini snowman that they could put onto one of the cars. 

"Yeah, we'll find you guys in a bit," Niall dismissed with a wave of his hand as he bent over to scoop up a little bit of snow for the snowman's head. 

"Aw, we could use one of the lids for a hat, drink up boys!" Liam suggested excitedly, making Louis chuckle and Harry smile as they walked away, towards the closest building where the warmth was. They didn't talk as they walked through the growing layer of snow hand in hand, other hands occupied by their hot drinks. 

"I'll have to remember to give them money for ours in a bit," Louis commented absentmindedly as they weaved through the groups of people hovering in the reception of Munich, each of the buildings being named after cities. 

"Yeah, I'll have to pay them tomorrow or Monday, I don't have any money on me now," Harry replied as he followed Louis, letting the older student lead him. 

"I'll cover yours, don't worry about it," Louis didn't even hesitate to say. 

"Want to just stay out here?" Louis asked as he noticed the canteen being rather full as Harry nodded gratefully. Louis pulled them to the edge of the corridor, both leaning against the wall as Harry shuffled closer to his boyfriend. 

"Thanks for getting it," Harry said quietly, squeezing Louis' hand gently as he stared at their feet. 

"You don't have to thank me Haz," Louis shook his head fondly. 

He and Louis had practically grown up together. He had met Niall and Liam when they started nursery together, having instantly clicked when the three of them had chosen consecutive numbers on the number rug to sit on during storytime. Zayn had moved to their school in year four, the three instantly taking him under their wing, deciding he was too shy for his own good. 

They had met Louis when he had moved to Harry's town, instantly befriending Harry and then his friends despite being a year above the younger boys. They never chose to flaunt their relationship once it became a thing, but everybody knew not to mess with Harry or any of their friends since they befriended Louis. When he'd moved up to college without the four of them, it was incredibly weird for all of them, but particularly Louis and Harry. Harry became convinced that Louis would find somebody his own age that he'd want to be with, instead of Harry, but that never happened. 

If anything, he only made Harry's own transition to college ten times easier. Considering he was already settled in, and comfortable at college, it certainly made things easier for Harry and the other boys, knowing there was somebody they already knew, and who already knew the place like the back of his hand. Louis also learnt to drive over the summer, so if any of them ever overslept or their bus didn't show up, Louis would quite happily drive in for the day. 

The best part was that they didn't have to keep their relationship under wraps anymore. Louis knew a lot of people on the campus, but it didn't seem to matter anymore that Harry was only a first year whilst Louis was a second year. Nobody cared, and it was refreshing. 

"Wanna sit down? Don't think anyone will blink an eye," Louis smiled at him, as Harry didn't reply but instead shrugged off his bag and sat down crossed legged against the wall, tugging Louis' hand until he did the same. 

"You're gonna have to deal with me fawning over the snow for however long it lasts and then some once we're back y'know," Harry informed him as he leant his body against Louis' slightly. 

"Mhm, I'm fully aware my love, it's not the first time we've had snow this year," Louis hummed as they both remember earlier that year when it had snowed heavily, and it had lasted for three whole days, meaning they got five days off college and school in total. It was amazing, they'd made a snowman that they'd intended to be huge but ended up being diddy, because it was harder to make a snowman than it looked, even with two of them. They'd drunk way too much hot chocolate, and spent majority of their time cuddled up together under a fleecy blanket. 

It had been one of the highlights of Harry's year. 

They sat in a comfortable silence after that, Liam, Zayn and Niall not making an appearance again as staff came in occasionally shouting a bus number that was preparing to leave. None of them were Louis' and Harry's bus. 

"The boys got on another bus that'll take them to Niall's for the night," Louis informed Harry as he received a text from Niall, Harry looking at Louis' phone over his shoulder since his had died, each having one of Louis' headphones nudged into their ears to pass the time. 

"I wanna go home," Harry mumbled as he yawned, it having been three hours since the snow had started already. A large majority of the canteen had cleared out, having already gotten on buses, but neither made the effort to move from the floor to one of the tables inside the now quieter room. 

"I know, Hazza. Gonna have lots of cuddles when we get back to yours," Louis mumbled in response, pressing a kiss to the top of Harry's head gently. 

"Excuse me, do you know when the 386 will be leaving?" Louis asked as he noticed somebody walking past them in a high vis coat. 

"No updates so far. The snow's gotten worse, so we're gathering everyone who's still waiting for a bus in Paris, since it's nearer to the bus bay. I think the majority of the buses that we're waiting on are stuck in traffic or stranded, so it could be a while. The canteen in Paris are serving up some warm food in about half an hour though," The man informed him with a smile as Louis thanked him, slowly getting up and stretching as the man repeated a similar statement to those still sat in the canteen. 

He offered his hand to Harry and helped him off the ground before grabbing their coats as they both put them back on in preparation to walk across the campus to the biggest building, where the few uni courses the college ran were held. 

"I'll buy us some hot food and drinks once we're over there, yeah?" Louis said, wanting to give Harry something to look forward too since he looked so tired and on edge. 

"Just get stuff for you, 'm not wasting your money," Harry sighed as he hauled his bag onto his back, feeling the weight of it. They hadn't been there that long admittedly, but it felt weird to him still being at the college at 6:30 in the evening, and he had to admit that he wasn't a fan. 

"It's not a waste, shut up you silly," Louis shook his head with a fond smile, making sure to deposit their cups into the nearest bin as they began to follow the drabbles of students out of the canteen and through the building back out into the cold night, snow still falling consistently from the sky. 

"I know I hate travelling in snow and everything, but I think I'd rather be on a bus right now. At least then we'd be on our way home," Harry said quietly as he looked up at the snow with a happy smile on his face, admiring its beauty as he linked his arm through Louis' again. 

"Has Anne rung you recently?" Louis asked as Harry gasped and checked his phone. 

"Fuck, it's died. She's gonna be worried as hell, and then she's gonna get mad-" Louis cut Harry off as he began to panic. 

"It's fine, Haz. She'll just be worried. I'll give her a call now," Louis said, delaying pulling out his phone until they had crossed the slushy road that was a lot quieter now, most students who could leave having left already. Once they were back on the lit up path, he was quick to pull out his phone and click Harry's mum's contact, waiting for her to pick up. He didn't have to wait long. 

"Louis? Is Harry with you? He isn't picking up his phone and I don't know where he is," Anne answered immediately, a very worried tone to her voice. 

"Sorry Anne, his phone died. If I'd known, I would've let you know earlier. They've been trying to get buses here and to various locations for three, nearly four, hours, but snow is making them stranded," Louis informed her. 

"Are you two not on a bus?" 

"Nope, ours hasn't turned up yet. They're sending us over to the big canteen where they're serving food and stuff, I presume they'll sort something to get us home. You don't mind if I come back to yours tonight? Just because mine is further-" 

"No, Louis, it's not a problem. Keep me updated okay? And look after him please, you know what he can get like with snow," Anne asked as Louis nodded. 

"Of course. Speak to you later," Louis said before Anne hung up, pocketing his phone again and smiling at Harry who was staring at him anxiously as they entered the building, a wave of warm air hitting them. 

"She's not mad, glad we're both alright," Louis said to put his mind at ease. 

"Promise?" 

"Pinky," Louis said, holding out his pinky for Harry to link his with, which he did with a smile. 

____________________________

Half an hour later, they had found a clear patch of floor to sit on against a wall, a few of Louis' friends joining them in a small circle as they ate some food. Louis had gotten them both a pasta bowl with a cup of tea each, without Harry's protest since they were informed they didn't have to pay for any of it. Harry knew it would only cause outrage from parents if they had to pay for the food. 

Harry had found a comfortable position with Louis' coat underneath them to stop them getting cold on the floor, Harry's larger coat spread over them like a blanket. The heating had been turned up, with students dotted all over the large canteen where they were being kept for the time being. As much as he loved being tucked up right next to Louis, cuddled into his side with his legs tucked between Louis', he couldn't help but think how much comfier they'd be cuddling in his bed or on his sofa, and not here on the college canteen floor. 

"Look at this," Louis said quietly as he tilted his phone screen to show Harry the funny video, making him smile as he ate his pasta slowly. 

"How long until you reckon we can go home?" Harry asked, noticing the circle of people Louis knew had broken off into smaller conversations, trying to make the best of the situation. 

"Don't know, honestly. Hopefully soon, but I don't really care since you're here," Louis replied as he put his bowl to one side, taking a sip of the takeaway cup he had picked up. 

"Oi Tommo, stop being a sap!" One of his friends chuckled, as Louis gave him a casual middle finger. 

"I'll say what I bloody well like Max," Louis grinned as Max pretended to fake vomit, making Harry smile a bit. 

"Excuse me, can I have your attention please!" Somebody shouted as the conversations quickly quietened at the sight of one of the men in charge stood at the front of the hall, high vis jacket removed for now. 

"Now, I appreciate your patience this evening as we've attempted to get buses sorted. As far as I'm aware, we still have the 381, 382, 386, 395 and the.... 374 left to organise, have I missed any there?" He asked as a couple more bus services were mentioned from the students, him nodding to acknowledge them. 

"The snow has only continued to worsen since it began at about 2 this afternoon, many of the buses that have been on route to us have either been diverted or have become stranded in the snow, unable to move. We have a bus that arrived roughly half an hour ago, but we don't believe it would be safe enough to put that one as a service and send some of you on your way, and obviously your safety is our priority," he continued as Louis shared a look of concern with Harry, who looked worried. 

"Wait, so are we gonna be going home tonight?" One of the students piped up. 

"Unfortunately, we believe it's simply too unsafe to run any more services, combined with the lack of buses and the inevitable hour, potentially plural hours, journey that should usually be under or about an hour, we think it would be wisest to keep you all here for the night, and arrange transport home in the morning. We'll be sending staff around to collect names of students that are here simply for records, and for precaution, and also so that we can get in contact with all of your parents," He said as the students groaned quietly as Louis just sighed and shrugged, gently reaching down and grabbing Harry's hand again now that he had finished eating. 

"We'll have food and drink provided for you, and we'll be sorting out pillows and blankets and such to keep you all as comfortable as possible. If there is anything anyone needs at all, let one of us know and we'll do our best to help, okay? Again, I'm ever so sorry about this, guys," He said, looking genuinely apologetic, and Harry couldn't help but feel kind of sorry for the guy. He was fairly young, but was clearly in charge here tonight, Harry felt sorry for him. 

"Well, might as well get comfortable darling. I'll text Anne and my Mum a minute, yeah?" Louis asked as Harry nodded, adjusting himself so that he had his chin rested on Louis' shoulder, trying to get closer since he was shivering from the cold. 

The pair fell silent for a couple of minutes as Louis sent all the texts he needed to send, before locking his phone and looking at one of the girls in the group, Talia. 

"Hey Tay, did you finish the coursework for photography?" he called across the group, catching her attention. 

"Yeah, finished it a couple nights ago. I presume you haven't?" She asked cheekily with a grin as he laughed. 

"You presume correct, +1 for you. Since we've got all night, would you mind helping me out with it? I've got all the photos and stuff, but something's just not working," He asked as she nodded eagerly, getting up from where she was sat and sitting down next to Louis quickly as he moved Harry's coat to cover his boyfriend more and rummaged in his bag until he got out the materials he needed. 

"You alright there for a minute babe?" Louis asked as he turned around to see Harry sat against the wall scrolling through his phone, which was charging since he'd been able to source a charger from Max. 

"Yeah, I'm good," Harry mumbled without taking his eyes off his phone, making Louis smile fondly before he turned back to Talia, who had put her hair up into a messy ponytail, showing that she meant business. 

"Right, what have you got?"

__________________________

Harry loved watching Louis studying things he was passionate about. He must admit, it was a good idea to use the evening to do some work, since they didn't have much else to do, but Harry couldn't bring himself to do it, so he sat on his phone, watching his boyfriend instead. 

He had spent a lot of time with Talia, deciding over positioning of the photos of him and Harry modelling various items of clothing and various fonts and colour schemes. The smile hadn't really left his face, which made Harry happy. He could feel a sense of anxiety deep in his stomach, purely because of the situation, but watching Louis be happy and enthusiastic about something soothed it slightly. 

He couldn't help but snap a photo of the two of them working, laughing at something Talia had said without them noticing, putting it on instagram with the caption 'could be worse people to be stuck in college with' with the pink love heart emoji, tagging the two of them before posting it, grabbing his other headphone and putting it in his ear as the quiet hubbub from the canteen faded and his music took over his hearing. He shut his eyes as he rested his head against the wall, trying to relax. 

He was sure he would've fallen asleep if he wasn't so cold, but there wasn't much he could do, not having anticipated this enough to have brought a thick jumper or anything of the sort. 

He wasn't sure how long he sat quietly for, trying to block out his surroundings and soothe his sense of unease on his own. He knew it wasn't healthy to rely on Louis as much as he did. 

When Louis looked over at his boyfriend, since he had fallen quiet, he couldn't help but smile when he saw him with his eyes closed against the wall, music plugged in. Louis could tell he wasn't asleep, but he wasn't going to disturb his peace. 

"You're pulling your Harry face again," Talia said without looking up from where she was sticking down one of the photos. 

"I don't have a Harry face," He protested as Talia shook her head with a sigh. 

"So oblivious," She chuckled as she sat up from where she was crouched. 

"How's he dealing anyway?" She asked seriously. Only a few of his friends were close enough to him and the boys to know about Harry's occasional bouts of anxiety, and they both knew this whole situation could easily trigger it, and ruin the snow that he so adored. 

"Alright for a minute, he almost had a moment earlier when he realised we'd be getting the bus home, but he hasn't given me any indication of being anxious since then. I'm hoping it stays that way," Louis said as he ran a hand through his hair and drew a border around the photo in gel pen to match the colour scheme they'd decided on. 

"If I had a relationship goals thing, you two would definitely be it," She said without looking at him so she didn't notice his proud smile. 

"I'll be back in a minute, gonna check on him. Did you want a cup of tea or anything whilst I'm up?" He offered as she politely declined, picking up her phone to reply to a text whilst he left. 

He was careful not to startle Harry as he crouched next to him, resting a hand gently on his exposed arm, frowning when he felt the goosebumps from the cold. Harry was quick to open his eyes and pause the music when he noticed who was touching him, giving Louis a tired smile. 

"How's your coursework going?" Harry asked as he pulled the headphones out of his ears, letting them fall into his lap. 

"Alright, we're making progress. You okay?" 

"Yeah," Harry replied softly as Louis sighed. 

"You don't have to lie, love," Louis reminded him as he nodded, before shrugging and looking down at his hands as he used one of them to lightly grab Louis', fiddling with the one ring he wore on his middle finger. 

"You're freezing Haz. Don't you have a jumper or anything?" Louis frowned when he remembered the goosebumps. Harry shrugged again. 

"Didn't anticipate this weather, let alone this situation," Harry said casually, as if it were no big deal. Louis sighed, pulling his hand from Harry's gently as he pulled his thick hoodie off in one swift motion before putting it in Harry's lap, who looked at him in disbelief. 

"Lou, no, you'll get cold-" 

"Haz, I'm fine, honestly. Put it on before it loses its warmth, yeah?" Louis encouraged him, smiling when he saw Harry in his hoodie, instantly making sweater paws from the arms. He knew that not only would it keep Harry warm, but Harry had told him before that it made him feel safe. Louis loved the idea that he made Harry feel safe and protected. 

"I'm going to go get some tea, I'll be back," Louis said, ruffling his curls from where he'd pulled the hood of the hoodie up, smiling at his boyfriend as he left. 

He truly did have the best boyfriend. 

__________________

It didn't take long for Louis to finish his coursework once he had gotten a cup of tea for him and Harry again. There had been a few announcements since then, and a few staff had been around to check they were all alright, but other than that, they were left to their own devices. 

"Lou? You look cold," Harry frowned as Louis came and sat back beside him. He couldn't help but feel bad that he had taken Louis' hoodie, despite his insistence that he was alright. 

"I'm good Haz, but I wouldn't say no to a cuddle if you were offering," Louis smirked as Harry nodded and quickly opened his arms, wrapping them around Louis, who had on a long sleeved tshirt and Harry's scarf wrapped around him a bit like a blanket. 

"I think they found some pillows and duvets, want us to get some for you two?" Max asked as him and Talia stood up. 

"Yes please, you get that and we'll get some food?" Harry offered as they nodded, just asking for some mash or whatever they could get from the two boys as the pairs went their separate ways. As they joined the small queue for some hot food, Harry grabbed Louis' hand, interlinking their fingers naturally. 

"Are you feeling alright? Want some space or anything?" Louis asked him as they waited, Harry shaking his head. 

"Nah, I'm not close to a panic attack or anything, I just feel a bit unsettled. I don't think there's much I can do about it," Harry told him, not making eye contact as he talked about his feelings. 

"We can cuddle in a bit, even if you can't sleep. Maybe watch a film or something on my phone?" Louis suggested as they shuffled closer to the food, almost being able to see exactly what was on offer. 

"Yeah. I hope you realise that I won't be moving very far once we're under a duvet or blanket," Harry admitted as Louis chuckled. 

"Won't be a problem, Haz. What do you fancy to eat?" Louis asked as he changed the topic of the conversation, knowing it was easier and would be more comfortable for Harry rather than talking about how he was feeling. 

In the end, they got four plates of fries with some beans and some form of chicken, the staff having to dig deep into the freezers of what was left over. 

"We got what we could," Louis announced to Max and Talia when they returned, passing them both a plate before chucking a couple of ketchup and salt sachets at them as he sat down, taking the other two plates from Harry so he could sit down. They had put down a duvet and a couple of pillows where they had sat, so they sat on top of it as they ate, conversing with the other two easily. 

"What film did you want to watch?" Harry asked as he pulled up a website on his phone, grabbing one of Louis' fries and dipping it in ketchup before eating it, since he had finished his own. 

"I don't mind, you choose," Louis said as he continued to eat, watching over Harry's shoulder as he scrolled through the popular films section. 

"Ooo, can we watch 27 Dresses? I love that film," Harry said as he spotted it on the list, smiling as he thought of the film. Louis nodded without a word as Harry put down his phone and began to untangle his headphones so they could watch the film together. It was nearing 9pm, but nobody was looking close to settling down. 

"What film are you guys watching?" Talia asked, shuffling around until she was comfier, leaning her back against Max's body. 

"27 Dresses," Louis said as he finished his meal, putting his plate down beside him. 

"Oh I love that film, Kevin is like the ideal boyfriend," Talia said dreamily as Louis nodded in agreement. 

"Never watched it," Max shrugged, taking a sip of his coffee as Talia gasped, making him smirk. 

"What?! Right, I know what we're doing tonight," Talia exclaimed as she unlocked her phone, searching for the film as quickly as the internet would allow her. 

"Here, you can have your own headphones then," Harry said as he looked up and chucked his headphone splitter to Max, who nodded in thanks. They became quiet after that, Louis and Harry settling themselves under their quilt, pillows behind their backs as Harry leaned his body against Louis rather than the wall, Louis beginning to run his hands through Harry's curls soothingly as he accepted the headphone Harry offered him and the film began. 

__________________________

Harry woke up again at about 2 in the morning. He had fallen asleep during his and Louis' second film, the darkness and the warmth of Louis' body and the quilt had sent him drifting off, and he didn't see the point in fighting it. 

When he woke up, he was still snuggled into Louis' lap, Louis having taken both the pillows for his back since he was the one leaning against the wall. When he looked around in the darkened room, he noticed Talia and Max asleep opposite them, in a similar position to him and Louis. He suspected that if people didn't know they were cousins, they'd think they were dating. 

The staff had dimmed some of the lights, but thankfully there was still enough light to see around the room, and Harry could see that a majority of people had drifted off to sleep, including most of the staff, although there were still the odd few groups sat up having quiet conversations or on their phones. 

He knew he didn't have much chance of going back to sleep for a minute, and he could feel the need to go to the toilet, so carefully and silently, he untangled himself from Louis' arms and the duvet, stretching once he was up before grabbing his phone and tiptoeing around people until he was on the outskirts of the large hall. 

He shivered as he walked down the cold corridor, thankful that he was still wearing Louis' hoodie as he pulled the hood up over his curls again, hands stuffed into the pocket of the hoodie. He was quick to reach the bathroom, letting the door close behind him, making him jump slightly as the noise echoed in the silent bathroom. 

He didn't waste any time going to the loo, and once he'd washed his hands, he took a moment to look at himself in the mirror. He was aware he wasn't looking the prettiest right now, but that wasn't what was bugging him. 

He could feel the uncomfortableness growing in his stomach, rising to the surface. 

He didn't feel like he was going to have a panic attack, because he wasn't feeling anxious as such. There was just something bugging him about the entire situation. Maybe it was how out of nowhere it came, maybe it was that he wasn't tucked up in his warm bed as planned. Maybe it was that Niall, Zayn and Liam had managed to get home and they hadn't, or maybe it was that it was just so unfamiliar to him. 

He knew there was one familiar thing that could make him feel better though. 

He contemplated the idea for a moment, before deciding that waking Louis would be worth it. He might have a chance of falling back asleep then afterwards, and then they could go back to sleep together. He just had to hope that Louis wouldn't mind being woken. 

It took a couple of rings for him to pick up. 

"...'ello?" He mumbled, clearly not having woken at Harry's absence. 

"Lou?" Harry whispered, even though he knew there was nobody in here that he could wake up. The silence was bugging him a lot, worsened by the fact that he was alone. 

"Haz? Where'd you go?" Louis replied equally as quiet, sounding much more awake when he realised Harry wasn't in his arms. 

"Bathroom. Can you...-" 

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming babes. Give me a minute and I'll be there, alright?" Louis reassured him as Harry nodded before realising Louis couldn't see him. 

"Okay. Love you," Harry said as he leaned against the wall, sighing. 

"Love you too," Louis said before he hung up and Harry put his phone down on the counter where the sinks were, closing his eyes as he waited, knowing Louis would make him feel more comfortable. 

He opened his eyes as he heard the creak of the door opening, not bothering to smile when he saw it was Louis, knowing he would only see straight through it. 

He didn't bother asking what was wrong straight away, only walking over to Harry and standing close to him, brushing a curl off his forehead before resting his hand gently cupping Harry's cheek, which he couldn't help but nuzzle into as he closed his eyes again. 

"Did you have a panic attack?" Louis whispered as Harry shook his head. 

"I don't think I'm going to, I don't feel panicky. I just... Don't feel comfortable?" Harry said, almost as if he were asking a question as Louis nodded understandingly, as he always did. "I don't know how to explain it." Harry admitted. 

"You don't have to explain to me, love. It's alright. It's different, huh?" Louis agreed as Harry nodded, stepping forward so he could wrap his arms around Louis, knowing he was probably cold in the bathroom without his own hoodie on. 

"Wanna sit up here for a minute, Haz?" Louis suggested as he tapped the counter behind Harry, him jumping up slightly to sit on it without replying, parting his legs a bit so that Louis could stand between them, keeping the closeness. 

"What's the time?"

"Quarter to three," Louis replied softly as he checked on his phone before locking it again and shoving it in his back pocket. 

"Sorry for bringing you out here," Harry apologised as he grabbed Louis' hand in his own, looking at the way their fingers fit so perfectly together. 

"No need to be sorry, I'm glad you called me rather than staying out here alone," Louis replied. 

They stayed in silence for a while, Harry trying to figure out what was causing him to feel so uneasy. 

"I don't like feeling like this when it's snowed. I want to go back to being happy and peaceful and excited," Harry sighed as Louis placed his hands on Harry's shoulders gently. 

"I know, my love. But, in a few hours, or by this time tomorrow, we'll be home, and we'll both be warm and snuggly with hot drinks, and we'll be able to build snowmen and watch the snow fall, yeah?" Louis said, trying to get a smile out of his boyfriend, his own only growing when he realised he had succeeded. 

"I feel like such a stupid little kid, can't even spend a night away from home without being stupid," Harry chuckled at his own stupidity as he looked at the ceiling to try and will away the tears that were gathering in his eyes for no apparent reason. 

"Hey, you're not being stupid. It's a weird situation, it's bound to make anyone feel uncomfortable." Louis was quick to reply, wiping away the few tears that spilled over his eyes gently with the pad of his thumb. 

"Don't see you or anybody else crying over it though," Harry mumbled as he wiped his own eyes again with the sleeves of Louis' hoodie, leaning his body into Louis' when he shuffled closer. 

"Haz, it really doesn't matter. Y'know, I don't like this situation either. It's weird to be here when it's dark and cold, and everyone else is at home. It's weird to be away from my mum and sisters," Louis admitted, making Harry's gaze snap to his boyfriend, looking vulnerable as he admitted to also feeling uncomfortable. 

"I'm sure they're all fine, Lou," Harry tried as Louis shook his head. 

"Look, I'm not too bothered by it, but I know you are, and I just wanted you to know you aren't alone in feeling like that, yeah? It doesn't matter if it makes you wanna cry Haz, you can cry," Louis said as he took the attention back off himself. Harry just nodded as he bit his lip, before leaning forward the short distance to connect their lips in a sweet kiss. 

"It's only for a few hours. We're gonna be alright." Louis mumbled between the kisses Harry was planting on his face, making him smile. 

"As long as you stay with me, it'll be fine," Harry agreed, making Louis' grip on his hips tighten slightly. 

"Yeah, it will be. You know I'd never go anywhere." 

_____________________

"It's like you could smell the kettle boiling!" Anne chirped as she approached the two worn out boys who had entered her house. 

"I mean, I did just text you to put it on," Harry smirked as he hugged his mother, moving aside so she could hug Louis too. 

"You sure you're alright with me staying until it clears up? The bus wasn't going as far as my stop, but I can walk home if it's too much of an issue-" Louis began to talk before Anne cut him off, chuckling. 

"Louis! It's fine, darling. You're not walking home, it's icy as hell out there," Anne warned as she walked into the kitchen again. 

After Harry's cry in the bathroom, the two boys had successfully managed to go back to sleep for a few hours, Louis refusing to sleep until he knew Harry was asleep. They'd had breakfast the following morning with Max and Talia, before they finally got some buses sorted at around midday. It was nearly 2pm by the time they got home, the snow continuing to fall heavily. 

"We're probably just going to take these upstairs if you don't mind, Mum?" Harry asked as they followed her into the kitchen where she was pouring steaming water into the three mugs of tea. 

"Yeah, of course. Keep the door open a bit though," She warned again as Louis raised his eyebrows at Harry with a smirk. 

"We always do Mum," Harry rolled his eyes, shaking his head with a smile on his face as he waited for her to finish making their tea. 

"I'll be cooking a meal for about six or seven ish, if you're not down I'll give you a shout." 

"Thank you. Love you," Harry said as he pecked her cheek and grabbed the two mugs before gesturing for Louis to follow him with his head. 

"Louis, can I speak to you a minute?" Anne asked as he nodded, turning to Harry who had stopped at the bottom of the stairs. 

"Go on up, I'll be up in a minute with our college bags, alright?" Louis nodded at him as he shrugged before disappearing, Louis turning his attention to his boyfriend's mother. 

"How was he last night?" Anne asked worriedly, as she sat down at the dining table with her mug of tea. 

"Yeah, alright actually. We took some time in the bathroom about half way through the night, so he could have some alone time, but other than that, he was fine," Louis informed her as she nodded with a smile. 

"You know that's down to you, right? Since he met you, you've been his safe place, his safe person. I'm glad he has you," Anne said, making Louis blush a bit and smile as he thought of the peace he helped bring to his boyfriend. 

"I'm lucky to have him, Anne, I really am," Louis said fondly as Anne chuckled again. 

"Go to him, he'll think I'm interrogating you otherwise," She chuckled, making him laugh too before he thanked her and grabbed both of their backpacks from the hallway, jogging up the stairs. When he entered Harry's bedroom, he saw he was already in his small double bed, which Anne let him buy with his wages when Louis was beginning to stay over a lot. He had Brooklyn Nine Nine on the TV, a rerun to create some background noise as he sat flicking through his phone. 

"Hey," Louis made Harry aware of his presence as he left the door open a crack as per Anne's request, setting the two bags down by Harry's desk as Harry looked up at him and smiled softly. 

"Hurry up, the bed's cold without you," Harry complained as he put his phone down and pulled the covers further up his shoulders. 

"Yes, alright Hazza, I get it that you like cuddles," Louis teased as Harry just stuck his tongue out immaturely at his boyfriend, making him giggle as he jumped around the room, trying to pull off his skinny jeans. 

"Ugh, I hope never to see skinny jeans again," Louis groaned once they were off his legs, not taking much longer to get into the bed carefully beside Harry, allowing the younger boy to curl up in his arms.

"You say that but you'll be wearing them again later, and then again by choice come Monday," Harry chuckled as he let out a happy sigh, resting his head on Louis' tshirt as he watched the TV. 

"They make my arse look good, and I know that pisses you off," Louis laughed as Harry just gently hit his chest in protest. 

"Y'know it's unfair to give me a hard on in college, there's nowhere to relieve it," he whined without making eye contact. 

"Hmm, we seem to have made it work before," Louis whispered in his ear cheekily as his mind flew back to the one of the many day he gave Harry a blowjob in his car in their fifteen minute lunch break they had together. 

"Thank god for you being able to drive, huh?" Harry replied, clearly thinking of the same incident. 

"C'mon, let's not think about that. We can't do anything here," Louis chastised as Harry looked up at him in disbelief again. 

"You were the one who brought it up you idiot!" He giggled before settling down against Louis' chest again, a hand rested over his heart where he could feel it steadily beating away. 

They didn't talk much after that, since Harry fell asleep again not long after they'd watched a couple of episodes. Louis couldn't help but divert his attention from the show to his sleeping boyfriend, looking so peaceful as his mouth fell open slightly. 

He really was in love.


End file.
